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The Villages
Sunday, May 12, 2024

11th Lake County resident dies of COVID-19 as state tops 33,000 cases

An 11th Lake County resident has succumbed to COVID-19 as the state topped 33,000 cases of the virus.

The latest victim was identified Wednesday as a 72-year-old woman who had been in contact with someone else suffering from the virus but hadn’t travel recently. She was a Florida resident and her case was first identified on April 2.

As of Wednesday morning, the tri-county area was reporting 568 cases of the Coronavirus – an increase of just five patients from Tuesday. There have been 28 deaths and 126 people have required hospital care.

The Florida Department of Health revised the number of Sumter County cases to 176 on Wednesday, down one from the day before. Those patients have been identified as 115 men, 60 women and one non-resident. They range in age from 17 to 97, with a median age of 66. There have been 13 deaths and 40 patients have required hospitalization.

The total number of patients in The Villages also was reduced by one on Wednesday to 78 – 70 in the Sumter County area where the vast majority of homes are located, seven in Lake County and at least one in the Marion County portion of the community.

Lake County is reporting a total of 227 cases – up just one from Tuesday’s report. Those patients are comprised of 105 men, 110 women and 12 non-residents. They range in age from 1 to 86, with a median age of 52.

Eleven have died and 60 have required some form of hospital care.
Marion County jumped to 165 cases on Wednesday, up five in a 24-hour period. That includes a 21-year-old woman from Summerfield, where 20 patients have been identified. It’s unclear if any of those patients live in the retirement communities of Del Webb Spruce Creek, Stonecrest or Spruce Creek South, as the Florida Department of Health doesn’t release that specific information.

Marion County’s patients – 71 men, 91 women and three non-residents – range in age from 2 to 96, with a median age of 51. Four have succumbed to the virus and 26 have been hospitalized.

The virus has been identified in many different cities and towns near Florida’s Friendliest Hometown. Some of those are Ocala (118), Clermont (79), Bushnell (58), Leesburg (35), Lake Panasoffkee (21), Eustis (16), Tavares (16), Mount Dora (14), Lady Lake (10), Wildwood (7), Belleview (4), Coleman (3), Oxford (2), Ocklawaha (2) and Silver Springs (1). Six cases also have been identified in the Lady Lake portion of Sumter County.

All told, Florida is reporting 33,193 COVID-19 cases, with 32,318 of those being residents. There have been 1,218 deaths and 5,419 patients have required hospitalization.

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